Dear Lipstick Mystic,

My question is this: Why do I see so many “New Age experts” who profess to be serious, but when the surfaced is scratched, they turn out to be cavemen only interested in the god of greenbacks? This has never been answered. - Hoss, Berlin, Germany

Hi Hoss,

The drive to obtain money and the drive to have sex are two powerful urges that most people are powerless to ignore. In fact, in a society where we all need to earn a living, to ignore the need for money is actually a suicidal one.

Many spiritual people who seek enlightenment try to lessen the sex urge, sometimes to their detriment. There are countless cases of gurus and cult leaders who are embroiled in sexual scandals. (Not to mention the epidemic of defrocked priests!) One such fellow I knew was a multi-millionaire who strongly admonished any of his cult members against dating each other, telling them that it would diminish their spirituality. He apparently wasn't too concerned about his own spirituality being diminished, as he hand-picked followers to sleep with him, telling them that they were "specially chosen." Meanwhile, he charged them thousands of dollars for the privilege of attending his special "retreats."

He later came to a mysterious end, drowned in a lake near one of his mansions. Needless to say, his former cult members are seriously screwed up from the years of head games that this guy inflicted upon them.

In my work deprogramming cult members I find that all cults tend to attract people with poor self-esteem and a lack of personal or spiritual sovereignty. If you feel that you are spiritually sovereign (and each of us are by birthright as unique souls), then no one will have dominion over your own sense of truth. You will seek enlightenment and direct, divine revelation and incorporate each piece of truth as you find it into your life. You might be inspired or guided by many teachers along the way, but you will never sign over your soul to them. Such agreements really are deals with the devil.

In this day and age, spiritual teachers, counselors, intuitives, and healers are no longer supported by temples where people regularly tithe. So each has to find his own method of earning a living. Some choose to charge for the work that they do. Others maintain second jobs that pay the bills while doing spiritual work for free.

But having a need for money so that you can pay your bills doesn’t automatically make you a greedy, soul-stealing, type. Just because you have to earn a living doesn't mean you're a vampire. Of course, there are many charlatans and money-grubbing fakes, but there are as many soul-stealers working in the worlds of politics, corporate America, and modern medicine. So worshipping the “god of greenbacks,” as you say, is something that cuts across many professions.

It’s true that, just because someone claims that they are spiritual doesn't mean that they truly have your best interests at heart. But there are many sincere types out there. My hope for you is that you are able to find them, should you choose to have more dialogue with people who work in the New Age fields. They do exist.

Thanks for your question! I’m sure that your concerns mirror the questions that many others have. You’ve provided some great fuel for discussion, for sure!